The authors of The Other Baby Book are offering our readers a giveaway copy, a value of $12.99. This is a QUICK giveaway, so enter today!

This book is a wonderfully written parenting book with no-nonsense advice from two natural parenting mamas who have been there and done that. They tell it like it is, without judgment and with loving, sound, and gentle advice.

I don’t like parenting books. There, I said it. My reason for not liking them is I don’t like being preached to about what I “need” to raise a baby. I also don’t enjoy the underlying tone of “How do you not know this already?” in most parenting books. Luckily for moms everywhere, The Other Baby Book isn’t a parenting book. It’s just a comfortable dialogue from two moms, Megan Massaro and Miriam Katz, who parent with their heart, and empower parents everywhere to do the same, while offering practical tips of how they overcame some of the hurdles. Truth be told, they had me sold right in the intro with this:

“The goal of our book is not to have you adopt and master everything. If something doesn’t resonate with you, no matter how many studies back it up, follow Emerson’s lead: “Trust thyself – every heart vibrates to that iron string.”

One of my favourite features of this book was the “Overheard” snippets, where Megan and Miriam include sound waves from moms who have “been there, done that,” and tell it like it is. I like that the book, while natural minded, does remain open to other paths as well — especially when necessary. Personally, I am very sensitive about the fact that I will most likely need a c-section, and do very often wonder, “Well, what if I could birth at home or in a birthing center…?” When I reached the “Hospital Birth” heading, I braced myself for c-section stats and the normal “How could you ever!!” While there were stats, it was comforting to read of helpful ways to keep your birth as natural as is right for you, while still allowing for the fact that medical technologies are now there for when necessary.

Throughout this book I was reassured by things that I desperately want, but keep thinking is not the norm, such as having a doula attend in the hospital:

“While doulas can support moms in any birthing environment, they’re especially helpful at hospital births when moms want to avoid unnecessary procedures. They’ll interpret medical jargon into easy-to-understand bites, and guide you through the pros and cons of every stage.”

Organization is the spice of life. At least, it is for Type A personalities like myself. I love how well organized this book is, not only from chapter to chapter, but also within chapters via subheadings. I am certain through pregnancy and the first year, I’ll be referencing this book for tips and tricks, and reassurance that “this is normal.” The easy to find information, and easy to understand language, contribute to feeling like this is simply advice that your best girlfriends wrote down for you.

The one “con” I found in this book was really a con mixed with appreciation. It took me a lot longer to read this book than normal…and not because I’m a slow reader. These ladies lay it all out, and talk honestly. A few times during the book, I had to put it down and let myself recover. A key one was this gem when discussing sex after birth:

“Birthing a baby is almost like having a small bomb explode in your vagina (or abdomen, if you had a C-section).”

Not going to lie, it took me a little while to shake that one off. While it’s great, invaluable information that no one else tells you, there are definitely a few chapters I would not want to read while pregnant and hormonal. I’m very thankful to have this read under my belt pre-pregnancy!

Verdict: Would I buy this? Absolutely!! Would I recommend it to friends? Definitely!! The Other Baby Book will for sure be in my go-to baby shower gift basket.

BUY IT!

You can purchase your own copy of The Other Baby Book in either a Kindle Edition ($5.99), or Paperback ($12.99) here on Amazon!

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This is a joint giveaway with Up, Down & Natural and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only, and we’ll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do visit and enjoy both sites!

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Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes.
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Information About Our Reviewer:

Photo Credit: Author

As Arpita and her husband have been trying to conceive their first child for over 3.5 years, she is trying to embrace the lessons the universe still has to teach her. Arpita wears her heart on her sleeve and on her blog about trying to conceive naturally, with medical help and now through their first attempt at IVF. She writes about the infertility experience, natural parenting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding activism and more. She blogs at Up, Down & Natural. You can also find her on Facebook andTwitter.

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I have long been hoping a simpler baby book would be published, so I was really excited when I first saw The Other Baby Book. I like that Megan and Miriam are hosting a blog on their website to allow discussion to take place. It certainly does “take a village,” and their site has become one of my go-to villages. As a new doula, I also appreciate, like Arpita mentions, that they discuss hiring a doula as a normal option for any mother-to-be. Thanks for hosting a giveaway!

I want to read this book, because I like that it has a “down to earth approach”. I have read so many books that leave me feeling like I’m just reading a dr’s “expertise” or books that are barely helpful at all.

Get to know some of our fabulous NPN Volunteers!

Kat from Heart and Wisdom Birth is one of our wonderful volunteers. With lots of heart and a love of fun, Kat puts her loving and supportive personality to work as a doula and parent coach in New Brunswick, Canada. Be sure to look her up if you're nearby!

Megan from The Boho Mama is one of our fantastic authors. When she's not writing for NPN you can find her at her blog the Pacific Northwest, parenting twin girls, being AP and mama-hood in general. You'll also find her gorgeous handmade ring slings on Etsy - visit Boho Mama for the link!

Vidya from VidyaSury helps spread the word about NPN as one of our Social Media volunteers. When she's not stumbling our posts she's working from home as a freelance author / blogger. Being mother to a teenage son, learning languages and a sunny personality are all part of Vidya's life in Southern India. Stop by her blog(s) for smiles and inspiration!

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